For partner institution details click here
Central KESS Team (Bangor)
Name : Penny Dowdney
Job title : KESS Project Manager
Contact : 01248 382266 / p.j.dowdney@bangor.ac.uk
I am project manager for the KESS project, managing the lead from Bangor and working with the nine partner universities. I have been appointed as KESS project manager fairly recently, having previously been responsible for the academic aspects of the project, the project approval process and the skills and development / training elements of the project. I maintain those interests, so I am still the main point of contact for project –wide issues, the KESS postgraduate skills development award (PSDA), KESS Grad Schools and academic related issues. I am currently working on embedding trans-national opportunities within the project. We are also working on the possibility of taking the project forward beyond 2015.
My background is in Educational Development, and my doctoral research was in the area of acculturation. I am Research Skills Development Manager at Bangor, working on doctoral training, supervisor training (academic and industrial supervisors) and Researcher Development. I deliver specialist training in Doctoral thesis writing and in Internationalisation. We are currently embedding the KESS project in our Doctoral School at Bangor. The KESS project has opened up a new aspect of my work in Researcher Development, that of employer engagement; the opportunity to work with future employers, both within the University and within their workplace, has added a new, rich dimension which I am finding invaluable.
Any free time I have is spent running our smallholding, riding, socialising, entertaining or singing with my band.
Name : Brian Murcutt
Job title : KESS Senior Administrator
Contact : 01248 382162 / b.murcutt@bangor.ac.uk
Operationally based in the Finance Office, I play a key role in the implementation and completion of these pan Wales projects. I work on developing project procedures and operational materials and ensuring the adoption of these by KESS staff, Partner HEIs, academics, students and company partners. I am responsible for all budget related matters, including claims and population of the delivery profile to our sponsor. I am the main point of contact for eligibility, monitoring and compliance matters. The KESS team deliver presentations, workshops and training to project participants, company staff, academics, and the staff of partner HEIs.
I started in the University in 1988 and have been in the Finance Office for 25 years, dealing with many different finance related duties. For 23 years I have been managing a large portfolio of research grants and contract projects, ranging from Research Councils, charities, government, company, knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP) and A4B projects. In 2004 I administered the Developing Research Skills Objective One (ESF) funded project, this was followed in 2005 with the Research Skills Training project, also funded through Objective One (ESF) funding; this project was the first collaboration with Aberystwyth University and Swansea University. In 2009 I was appointed to my current role as senior administrator on the Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS), funded through the convergence (ESF) funding.
Name : Laura Telleri Stafford
Job title : KESS Business Liaison Officer
Contact : 01248 388585 / l.t.stafford@bangor.ac.uk
In my role as the Business Liaison Officer on the KESS project, I am responsible for business engagement, marketing and publicity, along with supporting the implementation and continued development of KESS at Bangor. I am tasked with promoting the KESS project on a Wales-wide basis, working with the nine partner universities, and a Bangor specific element relating to Bangor’s KESS scholarships.
I have more than ten years of customer facing/business engagement experience, with roles in a community development/public sector setting and higher education, on both the ACTION and the LATERAL projects. All of these experiences have meant that I have a sound grounding in project finance, marketing and promotion, student and company recruitment, along with monitoring and evaluation of European funded projects.
Name : Caroline Barton
Job title : KESS Senior Clerical Officer
Contact : 01248 382582 / c.barton@bangor.ac.uk
I joined KESS from a PA background and have been supporting the KESS project team in a busy and dynamic environment for two years. As first point of contact for KESS scholars, their academic supervisors and external company partners for KESS PhD and Research Masters projects, I am involved at every stage of the recruitment of postgraduate students to KESS projects, from initial call for Research projects through to communicating successful applicants to the academic registry. I am responsible for all aspects of arranging and noting meetings and video conferences. I have a practical outlook to deal effectively with problems as they arise with appropriate solutions.
With Bangor as lead partner on the KESS project, a key responsibility is the maintenance of accurate records for all projects submitted for KESS funding. Information captured in these records informs the database, to be used for further statistical analysis and reporting to the funding body and stakeholders.
The positive energy of KESS and the role it plays in developing the career pathway of some of Wales’ most talented graduates, in association with their company partners, gives me great optimism for future growth in Wales.
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, planning trips, hill walking and paddle sports.
Name: Aashu Jayadeep
Job title: KESS Senior Clerical Officer
Contact : 01248 382357 / a.jayadeep@bangor.ac.uk
I joined KESS project in 2014 and provides support to our busy and enthusiastic team. I also support the management of Skills Forge for KESS PhD and Research Masters projects.
Having recently moved to North Wales, I joined Bangor University initially as a student to do my second Masters in Business Administration (MBA- Information Management) and graduated with distinction in 2013.
My background is in Higher Education IT and Management. After my bachelors I pursed my first Masters in Computer Application at College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET), India. Following my work as computer instructor in few institutions in India and Oman, I joined Middle East College (MEC), Oman a reputable Higher Education Institution affiliated to Coventry University (UK) as Lecturer in Computer Science. While at the Institution, I also took up the role as Senior Officer for Quality Assurance & Policy Officer, co-ordinating and managing a variety of projects related to Audit and Quality Assurance in Higher Education. All these experiences helped me gain valuable insights related to higher education projects.
Name: Mererid Gordon
Job title: KESS Senior Clerical Officer
Contact : 01248 388715 / m.h.gordon@bangor.ac.uk
I joined KESS in December 2014 and I provide clerical project support to the team. Having previously worked with GO Wales I have good understanding of an externally funded project and enjoy working within a structure which supports students and graduates with their career development.
I also have a background in art having gained my BA (Hons) Graphic Arts – Illustration at Liverpool John Moore’s University in 2011. I’ve continued to be an actively practicing artist building upon my experience by running workshops, collaborating and co-ordinating international arts projects with peers, clients and other artists.
I enjoy combining my skills by cross cutting organisational and creative elements to achieve results in all areas of my work.
Name : Sandra Roberts
Job title : ATM Senior Clerical Officer
(occasionally providing support to KESS)
I have been senior clerical officer with the Research and Enterprise Office for several years, having provided administration and finance support and assistance with previous ESF projects. I am currently seconded from my main role to work primarily with the ESF funded ATM project, which provides scholarships to taught Masters students. I assist with the KESS project where required.
My main responsibilities are dealing with student funding applications and contracts, inductions, time sheets, stipend payments and monitoring. I also oversee the collation and reporting of some data for claims / the funding body.
Contact : 01248 382501 / fos024@bangor.ac.uk
ATM enquiries : atm@bangor.ac.uk
Partner HEI KESS Contacts
Following are the main points of contact for the KESS project in each of the partner Universities:
Institution | Name / Role | Contact details |
---|---|---|
Swansea University swansea.ac.uk |
Jane Kelly Project Co-ordinator |
01792 513565 j.kelly@swansea.ac.uk |
Aberystwyth University aber.ac.uk |
Gwern Hywel KESS Lead |
01970 628579 gwh5@aber.ac.uk |
Univesity of South Wales southwales.ac.uk |
Leanne Crawley KESS Lead |
01443 654496 leanne.crawley@southwales.ac.uk |
Swansea Metropolitan (UWTSD) uwtsd.ac.uk |
Cheryl Buckley KESS Administrator |
01792 481199 cheryl.buckley@uwtsd.ac.uk |
Cardiff University cf.ac.uk |
Rebecca Blackwell European Officer |
02920 879196 BlackwellRM@cf.ac.uk |
Cardiff Metropolitan University cardiffmet.ac.uk |
Anne Barratt KESS Administrator |
02920 416612 ALBarratt@cardiffmet.ac.uk |
Glyndwr University glyndwr.ac.uk |
Stewart Milne Head of Research Services |
01792 481199 s.milne@glyndwr.ac.uk |